Isiaka Adeleke

Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke (15 January 1955 – 23 April 2017) was a two time Nigerian senator who represented the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State from 2007 to 2011 and was elected again under the banner of the All Progressives Congress in 2015. He became a member of the Nigerian Senate in 2007.[1] He ran for reelection in April 2011 on the PDP platform, coming second with 77,090 votes. The winner was Mudasiru Oyetunde Hussein of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) with 121,971 votes.[2]

Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke
1st Governor of Osun State
In office
January 1992 – November 1993
Preceded byLeo Segun Ajiborisha
Succeeded byAnthony Udofia
Senator - Osun West
In office
May 2007 – May 2011
Succeeded byMudasiru Oyetunde Hussein
Senator - Osun West
In office
May 2015 – April 2017
Preceded byMudashiru Hussein
Personal details
Born(1955-01-15)15 January 1955
Enugu
Died23 April 2017(2017-04-23) (aged 62)
Political partyAPC
ProfessionBusinessman, Politician

Background

Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke was born on 15 January 1955 to the family of senator Ayoola Adeleke and Esther Adeleke.[3] He was born in Enugu State and spent his early years in the city until the beginning of the Nigerian civil war. He started his primary education at Christ Church School, Enugu, before moving to Ibadan.[3] He completed his secondary education at Ogbomoso Grammar School. Adeleke holds a Bachelor Of Arts degree, and a master's degree in public administration. He was chairman, Governing Council, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, pro-chancellor and chairman, Governing Council, University of Calabar, Nigeria.[1][4] He was the uncle to Nigerian musician, Davido [5]

Political career
Osun State, Nigeria

During the Nigerian third republic, Adeleke ran for governor of the newly created Osun State which was carved out from Oyo State. He was a member of SDP the dominant party in the state. The front runner was a lawyer, Oladipo Oladosu but after a close primary in which Adeleke came second, Adeleke was able to win a runoff.[6] He was then elected the first civilian governor of Osun State in 1992. Notable decisions made by Adeleke was the establishment of a polytechnic at Iree, a college of technology at Esa-Oke and the completion of the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation. However, in 1994, after the dissolution of the republic, Adeleke pitched its tent to the opposition group, Afenifere but later switched to join a Democratic Party of Nigeria, a new political party with support from close associates of Abacha.[7] In 2007, Adeleke was elected senator for Osun West. His main competitor was Mudasiru Oyetunde Hussein, standing for the Action Congress. Hussein had spent two terms in the House of Representatives (1999–2007) as a member of the Alliance for Democracy party in a Lagos State constituency, but originated from Osun state. Hussein appealed the election unsuccessfully.[8] Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke was appointed to committees on Upstream Petroleum Resources, Integration and Cooperation, Housing and Air Force.[1]

In March 2008, he instituted a scholarship award for about 100 indigent students in tertiary institutions across the country.[9]

In July 2009, as chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke praised the work of the Independent National Electoral Commission, saying "so far INEC has performed creditably well".[10] He has supported the rights of Nigerians living abroad to vote in Nigerian elections.[11] Adeleke, before his death was allegedly eyeing the governorship seat in Osun ahead of the 2018 election in the state.[12]

Death

Senator Isiaka Adeleke suffered a heart attack. He died on 23 April, 2017 at Biket Hospital in Osogbo, the Osun state capital.[13]

References
  1. "Sen. Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke". National Assembly of Nigeria. Archived from the original on November 23, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  2. "Official result of OSUN Senatorial Elections". The Punch. April 10, 2011. Archived from the original on April 13, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  3. Lawal, Olumide. "Isiaka Adeleke: 60 years of service to humanity". sunnewsonline. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  4. "Timi of Ede, Oba Oyewusi Agbonran II". The Nation. 2009-08-22. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  5. "Davido mourns late Uncle, Senator Isiaka Adeleke". The Vanguard. April 24, 2017.
  6. Agbroko, G. (1996, Nov 18). From the editor. Theweek
  7. Olaniyonu, Y. (1996, Nov 18). A victim or a villain? Theweek
  8. "AC Senatorial Candidate boasts: I'll flush Adeleke out of Senate". The Daily Sun. August 28, 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  9. "Adeleke Scholarship Award for Indigent Students". This Day. 4 March 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  10. "INEC has done creditably well, Senate Committee!". INEC. 2009-07-31. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  11. "Nigerians abroad submit bill on voting right to National Assembly". Guardian Newspapers. August 4, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  12. "Osun: APC dares Adeleke to openly declare governorship ambition". Naija News. December 4, 2016. Archived from the original on April 24, 2017. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
  13. Senator Isiaka Adeleke Is Dead. Sahara Reporters. 23 April 2017.
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